Drive Me
by Marcelle1
Summary: SLASH. Byron Pike and Jeff Schaefer start a more interesting level to their friendship.
1. Drive Me

Title: Drive Me

Author: Joy/M'Arcy Lee Corgan/Marcelle/whatever you know me as

Disclaimer: If I got from this, my name would be Ann M. Martin. it's not, so... not mine.  
Pairing: Byron Pike/Jeff Schaefer

Rating: PG-13, for drug references

Summary: During a party, the boys learn more about each other... and Jeff's driving skillz.

Notes: Sequeled by "Candy" and "Falling Apart".

-

Jeff stumbled out the front door, nearly falling down the porch steps. Only one arm shoved into his jacket, he fumbled for his truck keys in the opposite pocket. The door slammed behind him as Byron followed him outside.

"Are you sure you should drive? You look pretty out of it."

Jeff whirled around, his balance tilted somewhere to the right. Byron's arm snapped out and kept him from spinning into one of the porch columns.

"No, I'm good," Jeff insisted.

"Just in case..." Byron trailed off, opening the passenger side door of the blue Dodge Ram and swinging into the seat. Jeff fell into the driver's side, clumsily matching the key to the ignition.

"Really, I'm cool." The truck slowly eased into reverse, and after a few moments' thinking, Byron clipped his seatbelt on, despite the idea that seatbelts were for pussies. Over the course of three hours, they had smoked at least three bowls.

At last, Haley finally rubbed her stomach, complaining about the lack of food. Most of the guys nodded, but remained staring at Haley's exposed midriff. Jeff was quick to volunteer a munchie run, however, and gotten halfway out the door before Byron could remember where his shoes were. He had caught up with his friend pretty easily, since Jeff also had to find his shoes, keys, and remember how to open the front door.

Jeff was doing rather well, thought Byron with relief. At least they were staying between the painted lines on their side of the road. When they pulled into the 7-11's parking lot, he grew nervous again. Jeff's tongue stuck out in concentration as he manuevered. Byron couldn't help but stare at the wet, pink tip sliding between Jeff's lips and sneaking back in again.

Both of them filled their arms with random unhealthy foods and piled them on the counter while Jeff emptied the contents of his wallet into the clerk's hand. She smiled at them knowingly. Not many people bought half the selection of snack cakes at nine p.m. just because they were hungry.

On the way home, Jeff started to falter. At several points, he crossed over the double yellow lines and Byron finally had to say something.

"You're making me nervous."

Jeff nodded, swinging the truck back into its proper place, but turned the wheel too far. The loud whine of the sleepguard carved into the shoulder rattled through the cab. Byron bit the inside of his cheek and reached for the steering wheel in panic. His palm brushed over the back of Jeff's hand, and he reacted violently, gasping and shoving his hands under his legs.

Jeff stared at his hand as if he still felt Byron's touch. Then he looked over at Byron, whose facial expression had become quite... worried. Slowly, Jeff nodded and smiled at him, as if he'd guessed the secret already.

He reached over the armrest, pulling Bryon's tightly clenched hand from under a thigh. He gripped it firmly, shaking only minisculely.

"I'm sorry. I'll be more careful."

The rest of the trip back to Haley's was extremely silent. The only noise came from the rumbling engine, a constant background. Byron's fingers were entwined with Jeff's, and his face had twisted into contentment. Jeff kept his grip reassuringly tight, even when his palms started to sweat.

It was almost physically painful when they had to let go, as they pulled back into the Braddocks' driveway. Right before they walked back in the door, Jeff quickly laid his head on Byron's shoulder, the movement only half-caught by the porchlight.

Byron simply grinned at him. Jeff stuck his tongue out.


	2. Candy

Title: Drive Me

Author: Joy/M'Arcy Lee Corgan/Marcelle/whatever you know me as Disclaimer: If I got from this, my name would be Ann M. Martin. it's not, so... not mine.

Pairing: Byron Pike/Jeff Schaefer

Rating: PG

Summary: During a party, the boys learn more about each other... and snack cakes.

Notes: Sequeled by "Falling Apart", prequeled by "Drive Me".

-

In the real world, time had an entirely different meaning. When the boys got back inside the house, they found their friends unable to wait for them. The drugged teenagers were slumped over the furniture like dirty laundry. Haley had her face half-pressed into Adam's lap, drooling on his pant leg. 

Byron snuck a peek at Jeff, sliding the food silently onto the table. A hard feat to do, considering all that plastic packaging. He bent down and selected a few candy bars and a Twinkie, then moved off to the hall leading to Haley's bedroom. Perhaps Jeff just imagined the naughty gleam in Byron's eyes.

Jeff gasped involuntarily, thinking, Oh, Lord. What would Haley do if she found us sneaking into her room? A girl's room is strictly off-limits, even in the case of emergencies.

The Pikes must have lived by more communal rules, because Byron really didn't seem to blink at all the stuffed animals and ruffles and the overindulgence in pink that the Braddocks chose to decorate their daughter's bedroom with.

Byron threw himself on the bed, head falling into a plush pillow. There was a soft crunching noise, and Byron lifted his head slowly, reaching under the pillow, only to pull out a large box of comdoms. He raised an eyebrow, and quickly dumped a few squares into his lap, pocketing them without meeting Jeff's eyes.

"So," Jeff started nervously, "What now?"

A pair of soft, dark eyes stared up at him, taunting him, inviting him. "Now... we eat," Byron offered, handing him a plastic-wrapped cupcake. Jeff chose to ignore all the nutritional warnings on the label and opened it, reveling in the soft texture on his tongue.

Jeff swallowed carefully, his attention focused on the way Byron was licking the cream filling out of the Twinkie firmly grasped in his fist. His tongue curled up and around, just like a cat's. Finally, Jeff had to plop down on the pink comforter too, his legs unsteady. Byron grinned at him, a smear of white on his chin.

That made Jeff even more anxious, but he forced himself to chew his next bite of snack cake. Byron attempted to toss the Twinkie wrapper in the trash, using the opportunity to stretch himself over Jeff's lap. He squirmed around, trying to get a better angle on the garbage can while putting Jeff into a very compromising state of mind.

Jeff leaned back into the pillows, pulling Byron to his chest halfway. They lay like that for a few minutes, Jeff listening to his friend's slow breathing. Byron fidgeted, trying to place his arms somewhere comfortable, but not anywhere that might startle. Finally, he decided with rolling onto his side and curling up. Jeff didn't say anything, but he did rub Byron's back reassuringly a bit before encircling him with shaky arms.

Byron whispered, "You're still making me nervous." He closed his eyes and settled down into the embrace.

Jeff laughed, the sound mostly breath. "And you? You have no idea." He tightened his grip.

Bryon went stiff. "What?"

"I mean... I've never..." Jeff was beginning to feel the haze clearing from his mind and he was sure that Byron was sobering up, too. He searched for something that would sound explainable when they were both looking back on it. Then he realized that he didn't care.

Instead, he ran his fingers through Byron's hair, until he felt the dark-haired boy relax under his touch. After that, it was all too easy to drift into sleep.


	3. Falling Apart

Title: Falling Apart

Author: Joy

Pairing: Byron/Jeff

Rating: G (I promise, eventually I'll work up)

Disclaimer: Not mine. I'd never pretend otherwise.

Notes: Sequel to "Candy", and therefore #3 in the series. Start with "Drive Me" if you're unfamiliar with the territory.

-

Byron was wrapped around his best friend's body, taking advantage of Jeff's slumber to breathe his scent in deeply. He decided, with a smile, that Jeff smelled quite similar to the sugar cookies Mrs. Pike made. The sugar cookies usually had a slight dusting of confectioner's sugar on top, but Byron doubted that Jeff would be sugar-coated as well.

Then again, Byron didn't know much about Jeff at all. The sandy-haired boy was constantly jumping from California to Connecticut, and this was just one of his longer stays with his East Coast family. The boys kept in touch every time Jeff came back, but it was only in the last visit that Byron found himself really missing his friend. There was always certainty that Jeff would come back, but the last time he went to his father's, Byron had spent a week moping and hadn't realized why until Jeff walked onto his front porch six months later.

He hunched up under Jeff's arm a little tighter, getting as much contact as possible. His thoughts were wound all up in a tight spiral and they kept unravelling. Why had he grabbed Jeff's hand earlier? Why had he been so ashamed? It all seemed futile to be worried about what was in the past, especially considering the position he was in now, but Byron always did things on the safe side.

Jeff sighed deeply and his head rolled a little closer to Byron's. He looked very peaceful sleeping; it was beginning to rub off on Byron. Just as he was beginning to drift off, he heard footsteps. Byron immediately sat up, shoving frantically at Jeff, who only grunted.

The footsteps stopped outside Haley's door, replaced by a sharp knock and the door swinging open. Byron stiffened, giving up on rousing Jeff.

Matt Braddock stood there, obviously shocked. Two teenage boys in his sister's room, without his sister there? Two teenage boys that appeared to have been cuddling? Matt stared for a few seconds, his usually overactive hands limp and silent.

/Where's Haley/ he signed, when he had regained some composure.

For almost a full second, Byron had forgotten all about Matt's deafness. Then he shook his head, trying to remember something. Anything. The only sign he could remember off the top of his head was the Bizzer Sign, and that was definitely not what Byron was looking for in the communication department.

While he fumbled, it came to Byron's attention that Jeff had woken up underneath him. A wave of despair washed over him. Jeff was not nearly as fluent in sign language as the Pikes were, and right now Byron was having a hard time with the simplest words.

Nobody had to figure out how to say anything next, as a second set of footsteps thundered down the hall. Haley grabbed Matt's shoulder and furiously began signing to him. Their hands were a blur as they talked.

Matt's face broke out into a huge grin as he pointed inside Haley's bedroom. Byron wanted to melt into the floor and never come back. Jeff was equally horrified. Haley's expression resembled something akin to a raccoon hit by a tractor.

"Uh... W-we wondered where you went," she stammered.

Jeff saved the day, smoothing the sheets and topping the pillow shaw with a pink rabbit.

"The living room was full. You guys all fell asleep on us when we got back with your food."

Haley blushed. "Ok. Now get out of my room. I catch you guys in here again, I tell them." She gestured towards the living room with a jerk of her head.

Byron got the message and hauled Jeff off the bed, nodding at Matt on the way out. They peeked around the corner, discovering that the other guys were still passed out completely. Jeff flopped on the couch quickly, flipping on the Playstation.

"Soul Caliber?" he suggested. Byron heartily agreed, and they hastily covered up their tracks with pixelated violence.


	4. Cold

Title: Cold Hands...Yours, Too.

Author: Joy

Pairing: B/J

Rating: PG-13, for language

Disclaimer: Not mine. No profit.

Notes: After "Falling Apart". Yes, the title is from "RENT". Sorry, there is some angst in here. Will make up for it later. Wow, was today ever a good day for B/J. grins

If you have a Livejournal, join the community "bscslashfic" for even more B/J!

Jeff shivered on the porch while he waited for the Pikes' car to rumble into his driveway. Rather than sit in a warm living room with Richard and the inevitable lecture on curfew and safety, he had opted to huddle against a chill Connecticut wind and squint through nearly frozen, watery eyes for the sight of his friends cruising up the road.

The weather had been freakish lately, even the triplets had given him that. It was nearly May, and still the news gave reports of impending snow, which turned out true more often than false. This in itself nearly had made Jeff demand to go back to Palo City.

Partially the weather, he sighed, and largely this buzzing feeling in my head that won't let up. If I can think of anything at all, it's Haley's bed. Haley's bed and Byron's soft hair brushing against my cheek, and the faint smell of sweat between the two of us. Jeff bit his lip, a shiver coursing through him from a deeper place than skin.

The blast of the horn startled him, and he straightened up, lifting a glove-encased hand to wave. Richard stuck his head out of the door, handing him a scarf and reminding him one last time of curfew. Jeff rolled his eyes as he scrambled down the porch steps and towards the car.

Jordan shoved the door open with some difficulty, having to first kick it and then put body weight against it before the door slipped free of the frame. Jeff patiently waited, then nearly threw himself into the backseat. To close the door, he had to pull up on the handle while Byron got out of the passenger's side and shove at it again.

"We have got to convince Dad to fix that door," Adam muttered as he cranked the heat up.

"Why won't he?" Jeff asked. He was vaguely aware that the damage had occured during the summer he was gone, but nobody had voiced the details.

Jordan groaned. "Dad said he wasn't fixing anything on this bucket of bolts as long as it still drove. Said it would teach us to be more careful."

"Oh."

The engine whined as the car accelerated. Byron, being in the front, was given rights to the portable cd player plugged into the tape deck. He fiddled with it until it finally started to blare music through the car's tinny speakers. The opening chords to a Metallica song started up, and instantly Adam and Jordan began flinging their heads around to the beat, even if Adam's hands were wrapped around the steering wheel.

Jeff hunched in his seat, fully aware that if Adam sent them soaring across the road into a tree, that he was surely going to be in a lot of trouble. Like it was his fault that Adam was more obsessed with the idea of driving than actually doing it. Luckily, the cd player cut out suddenly, and Byron was set upon to fix it, amongst loud protests.

It was discovered that turning up the volume too loud overloaded the player, so after that, the music stayed much quieter. Jeff caught Byron's eye and smiled. It appeared that Byron preferred the music at low volume, as well.

They ran into trouble again at the movie theatre. Adam and Jordan bought their tickets and consequently sold out the show. They looked worriedly at the other two boys.

"Ummm... we can see something else; it's okay," Jeff assured them. Byron nodded silently in agreement. Adam and Jordan shrugged.

"See you out front in two hours, then. You should go see that other movie. It looked pretty decent on the previews."

"Okay," Byron said, waving goodbye to his brothers. He waited until they had vanished into the theatre, then he tugged on Jeff's sleeve.

"You don't really want to see a movie, do you?" Jeff guessed, and was rewarded by a lop-sided smile.

"Well, what then?"

Byron shrugged, his thin frame shaking in the wind. "We could... walk around the mall, you know?"

"For two hours?"

"There's a restaurant across the street."

They rushed over to the Waffle House and wolfed down greasy food in an attempt to fill themselves with warmth, but it only lasted until they walked outside, and then the cold tried to sneak in anywhere that wasn't wrapped in four layers of clothing.

"Ok, now what?" chattered Jeff, who really, more than anything, wanted to be someplace warm.

Byron looked like he was about to cry, and started marching into the mall. Jeff followed him into the food court, grabbing his shoulder and forcing him down into a chair.

"Byron, what is your problem?" Those might not have been the best words to say.

Immediately, Byron's face dropped into his palms and a soft whimpering sound crept through his gloves. Jeff was paralyzed as he watched his best friend break down in front of him. Finally, Byron started babbling, not all of it coherant.

"Don't know! You've been...not at all...and you made the first move...thought...were high, but that's okay, I can...won't even talk to me...'m sorry, Jeff. But what do you want?"

Jeff was really going to fuck himself over with this. "Byron, I can't understand you." He pulled the mittens away, offering the scarf Richard had given him as a tissue. Being strongly aware of sitting in a very public place, he scooted a little closer to Byron.. Maybe if nobody could tell who it was sobbing in front of him, the two of them could avoid notice.

Byron wiped his tears away. "Sorry. Just... fuck. Sorry." He tried to stand, but Jeff's firm arm around his back kept him in place.

"Talk to me, okay? This is about that party at Haley's, isn't it?" Jeff's heart sunk. He himself had thought of nothing else, and it was clear that it had been eating away at Byron, too. As much as they avoided the subject, it was the only thing they wanted to discuss, but they had kept it bottled up.

Byron nodded miserably, the tears welling up again. "Did you mean it?"

"Yes, I meant it!" Jeff hissed, a little forcefully. He cringed as he watched Byron shrink back. "I mean... God, Byron, this is hard."

"Jeff... you said you'd 'never'. 'Never' what?"

The answer was choked and Jeff could hardly meet Byron's eyes. "Never thought this would happen. Like, girls, they're hot but..." He swallowed nervously. "I don't think I want to be with them like... like with you."

Byron's mouth was a small "O" as he slid a little closer to Jeff, winding his mitten-thick fingers around Jeff's wrist. Jeff slid his gloves off to hold Byron's hand, slowly pulling the mitten off. Their fingers locked together, as perfectly as the time before.

"Your hands are cold," Jeff gasped.

"Yours, too," smiled Byron wryly.

But they didn't let go until the bustle of the crowd started pouring into the lobby, and even as his brothers walked up, Byron gave Jeff's hand a small squeeze before shoving his mittens back on.


	5. Right Now

Title: Right Now

Author: Joy

Pairing: B/J

Rating: 13+ (language)

Disclaimer: Not mine.

Notes: Byron's diary entries. I guess this goes out to lj userleah1878, who just keeps writing and inspiring us all.

Feb. 19

Haley had some sort of post-Valentine's party. Guess it was supposed to be a "whomever didn't get laid needs to now" party. Then MJ showed up, and it became much more interesting... Jeff is not the best driver, but I won't tell him. Of course, then there was the incident. Do I want to write about this? Do I want to admit it happened? Yeah, I guess. Not like my brothers would find this. So like, Jeff and I went wandering around the house and we ended up on Haley's bed. Bed, yes, I said bed. Then he started like, touching me. I don't think he realizes I like him. I bet he was just messed up. We fell asleep and Haley found us, but I don't think she'll say anything. Cuz then she would have to tell people about the party, and she wasn't supposed to have anyone over.

Feb. 28

Hung out with Jeff. He hasn't said anything about the party. I bet he forgot. I hope he forgot, except that I don't want him to forget, I want him to do it again. He said he'd never. Never what? He lives in California, the wild state. People... do that stuff there.

March 11

Still nothing. If he goes back to CA and we never talk about this again... I don't know. Maybe I should forget. But I can't. I dreamed about it last night, except Haley never came in, and we... Uh-oh. Brothers coming.

April 5

Dammit I can't stop. Thinking, I mean. I think he really did forget it happened, except that after school, he grabbed my hand. I was walking away but he could have just yelled at me. It's so frustrating to know that I make him happy, but not happy like he makes me happy. Sometimes I wish I could talk to other people about this. Sometimes I wish I could just talk and have people listen to me. Me. Byron.

April 8

Love sucks. I believe it. Jeff either touches me or he starts acting all cold. Maybe it's the weather. I know he considers anything below 60 degrees a crime. But he goes back to his dad in a month and a half. I swear I'm going to die if I don't find out what he's thinking.

April 9

Dreamed I went to CA with Jeff. Only when we got there, it was like Sea City.

April 16

Maybe he didn't forget. At lunch today, Jordan was talking about how we needed to see more of MJ. Then Jeff agreed and he smiled at me. I shouldn't think about it too much.

April 23

Went to mall with Jeff. I have never been so embarrassed in my life. It was really really really really REALLY cold today. Hoping it doesn't get that cold again before Christmas. Jeff was miserable. He kept shifting around and wanting to go do something else. No matter what we were doing, he wanted to be somewhere else. I just knew he was pissed about the movie selling out. He wanted to hang out with my brothers. I'm sure of it. And it was such a cold day and he was so cranky that I couldn't help it. I cried. I cried like Nicky does when we leave him out of something. It was awful. Jeff really freaked out. And then... then he said... I can't believe I'm writing this. He said: "I don't think I want to be with girls like... like with you." Oh my god. Oh my god. I think this can warrant an "oh my fucking god". Except now he's going to leave for CA and I won't see him again for months and months and I cannot do this. Why is he getting taken away right now?


End file.
